History will judge Syria UN convoy attack response

Thursday, 22 September 2016

A statement by over 100 Syrian, regional and international humanitarian and human rights organisations on Monday’s attack on a humanitarian convoy in Aleppo.

Monday’s direct attack on a humanitarian convoy delivering life-saving aid to Aleppo marks a descent to new depths of inhumanity. As world leaders gather this week in New York, the world’s eyes are on them and history will judge their response to this criminal act.

Deliberate attacks on humanitarian workers and civilians are war crimes. This must mark a turning point: the UN Security Council cannot allow increasingly brazen violations of international humanitarian law to continue with impunity.

Heads of state are gathered in New York this week for the United Nations General Assembly. Each one that accepts a lack of accountability for perpetrators and facilitators of war crimes colludes in the ongoing dissolution of international humanitarian law. These are the laws that project a common vision of humanity across the globe. They protect us all: to lose them would be to forget the lessons of both world wars and return to a time of darkness and anarchy.

Witnesses interviewed by Amnesty International said a variety of aircraft, including helicopters and Russian-made fighter jets, took part in the bombardment. We call on the Security Council immediately to request the UN Secretary-General to launch a swift investigation – and report back to the Security Council within a week – in order to identify the perpetrators definitively and make recommendations on holding them to account under international law. Those who commit such crimes must understand that they cannot continue to do so with impunity.

For five years, we have seen leaders repeatedly condemn the widespread violations of human rights and international humanitarian law by parties to the conflict in Syria. Yet they fail time and time again to hold perpetrators to account. Over and over again, the world has watched while civilians are deliberately killed and starved, hospitals are bombed and aid workers are attacked. What further horrors will Syrians to be subjected to before we reach another red line?

Signed by:

1. Abrar Halap Association for Relief and Development

2. Action Aid International

3. Ahl Horan

4. Al Seeraj For Development And Healthcare

5. Amrha

6. ASML - Association de Soutien aux Médias Libres

7. Association for Aid and Relief (AAR), Japan

8. Attaa Association

9. Attaa for Relief and Development (ARD)

10. Balad Syria Organization

11. Basmet Amal Charity

12. Baytna Syria

13. Big Heart Foundation

14. Bihar Relief Organization

15. Binaa Organization for Development

16. Bonyan

17. Cairo Institute for Human Rights Studies (CIHRS)

18. CARE International

19. CCFD - Terre Solidaire

20. Center for Civilians in Conflict (CIVIC)

21. Center for Victims of Torture

22. Christian Aid

23. Collateral Repair Project

24. Collectif des Amis d'Alep

25. Comité d'Aide Humanitaire au Peuple Syrien - ComSyr57

26. Damascene House Foundation for Society Development

27. Deir Elzzor United Association (FURAT)

28. Dorcas

29. Education Without Borders (MIDAD)

30. Emaar AL Sham Humanitarian Association

31. Enjaz Development Foundation

32. ETM

33. EuroMed Rights EMHRN

34. Ghiath Matar Foundation

35. Ghiras Al Nahda

36. Ghiras Foundation

37. Global Centre for the Responsibility to Protect

38. GOAL

39. Hand in Hand for Syria

40. Help 4 Syria

41. Human Care Syria

42. Human Rights & Democracy Media Center (SHAMS)

43. Humanitarian Relief Association (IYD)

44. International Rescue Committee

45. Ihsan for Relief and Development

46. iMMAP

47. Independent Doctors Association (IDA)

48. Insan for Psychosocial Support

49. International Supporting Woman Association (ISWA)

50. Irtiqaa Foundation

51. Karam Foundation

52. La Vague Blanche pour la Syrie

53. Local Development and Small-Projects Support (LDSPS).

54. Maram Foundation for Relief & Development

55. Masrrat - The Syrian Establishment for Human Care and Enhancement

56. Mercy Corps

57. Mountain Foundation

58. MRAP - Mouvement contre le Racisme et l'Amitié entre les Peuples

59. Najda Now

60. Nasaem Khair

61. Norwegian Refugee Council

62. Nuon Organization for Peacebuilding

63. NuDay Syria

64. Orient

65. Oxfam

66. People in Need

67. Physicians Across Continents (PAC)

68. Physicians for Human Rights

69. Protection Approaches

70. Qatar Red Crescent Society

71. Qitaf Al Khair Relief Association

72. Saed Charity Association

73. Save A Soul

74. Save the Children

75. Secours Islamique France

76. Sedra Association For Charity

77. Shama Association

78. Sanabel Al Khair

79. Social Development International (SDI)

80. Solidarité Saintonge Syrie

81. Solidarités International

82. SUDO UK

83. SUHA - Urgence Solidarité Syrie

84. Syria Charity

85. Syrian Expatriate Medical Association (SEMA)

86. Syria Relief

87. Syria Relief

88. Syria Relief and Development

89. Syria Relief Organization

90. Syrian American Medical Society (SAMS)

91. Syrian Education Commission (SEC)

92. Syrian Engineers For Construction and Development Organization (SECD)

93. Syrian Expatriate Medical Association (SEMA)

94. Syrian Institute for Justice

95. Syrian Medical Mission

96. Syrian Network for Human Rights

97. Syrian NGO Alliance (SNA)

98. Syrian Orphans Organization

99. Takaful Alsham Charity Organisation

100. Tuba Dernegi

101. Unified Revolutionary Medical Bureau in East Gouta

102. Union of Medical Care and Relief Organizations (UOSSM)

103. Union Of Syrians Abroad

104. Violations Documentation Center in Syria (VDC)

105. Violet Organisation

106. War Child Holland

107. War Child UK

108. White Hands - Beyazeller

109. Win Without War

110. Women for Development

111. World Vision